Sustainable Livestock

VIDA challenge case description

Livestock is practised in many different ways and environments with differing degrees of intensity and efficiency. Growing population and incomes have rapidly increased the demand for livestock products. Global production of meat is projected to more than double from 229 million tonnes in 1999 to 465 tonnes in 2050. (https://www.sustainableagriculture.eco/sustainable-livestock-production)

Livestock is the largest anthropogenic user of land and a large water consumer. The intensive livestock practices contribute largely to water pollution through manure discharge with important surpluses of nitrogen and phosphorus. Indeed, it makes a significant contribution to climate change, being responsible for 14,5% of human-induced GHG emissions (FAO, 2013).

The recently published “Climate change and land report” by IPCC in 2019 states with high confidence that balanced diets featuring plant-based and sustainably produced animal-sourced food “present major opportunities for adaptation and mitigation while generating significant co-benefits in terms of human health”.

There are multiple options to introduce efficient practices to reduce GHG emissions in livestock production: better feeds and feeding techniques; improved animal health interventions and manure management that ensures recovery and recycling of nutrients and energy plus the use of energy-saving devices, have a role to play. (Tackling Climate change through livestock, FAO 2013)

Innovation areas to address resource efficiency challenges

Manure management; water recycling; decontamination; energy efficiency; addressing diffuse pollution; I4.0 solutions optimizing the overall process including dosing, artificial intelligence, optimized monitoring and control of the process parameters and material flow and quality control.

Existing innovative solutions

Some of the identified innovative solutions to approach this challenge were presented via VIDA Webinars. See all presentations here

High-performance incinerator for electric energy production from poultry manure, by KAPA engineering

Working group for Renewable energy Sources (RES) performance evaluation and manure management, by GEEZAR

Demonstration Vouchers funded by VIDA

DV238 – Farm-Tech: IoT and AI for Swine farming

Disclaimer

Enlisted VIDA Challenges and cases present the examples and not an exhaustive list. Some additional resource efficiency challenges in the agri-food sector may be also considered eligible.

For more information, you can check VIDA Terms and Conditions and if in any doubt, do contact us.